‘Gone with the Wind’ mansion up for auction; opening bid starts at one million dollars

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The mansion that inspired the Twelve Oaks plantation, home of the Wilkes family in “Gone With the Wind,” is going up for sale.

And frankly, my dear, it’s easy to see how the author was moved by the 10,000-square-foot antebellum mansion in Covington, Georgia, about 40 miles from Atlanta.

When Margaret Mitchell saw the house, she sent a photo of it to David Selznick, the producer of the 1939 film. On top of the image, she wrote “Twelve Oaks” and “I like this for Ashley’s home,” according to the book “David O. Selznick’s Gone with the Wind.”

The majestic white mansion features 12 bedrooms, 12½ bathrooms, more than 3 acres of gardens, a pool, 12 fireplaces, a grand dining room, a formal parlor and a four-car carriage house, according to Target Auction Company.

The mansion was built as a private home in 1836, and a $2 million renovation was completed in 2017. It has been operating as a bed and breakfast in recent years, as well as an event venue.

The starting bid is $1 million. Online bidding begins July 4, and the live auction will take place July 25.

“This would make a magnificent home, a lucrative business or both,” Dewey Jacobs of Target Auction said in a news release. “Operating permits for a B&B, an event venue, and a historic tourist site are already in place, and the property receives movie and TV contracts each year. So this could be a huge opportunity for someone.”

The owners of the property are selling it to pursue “other business ideas,” the company said.